Source : Perth Now news
The Greens have chosen a new leader, with David Shoebridge taking over the top job after Larissa Waters stepped down following health concerns.
WHO IS DAVID SHOEBRIDGE
* Senator Shoebridge was elected to the upper house in 2022 as the party’s lead candidate in NSW
* He came into federal politics after a 12-year stint in the NSW upper house, as well as a career as a barrister
* Senator Shoebridge was formerly a Labor member in the 1990s and was part of a branch in Sydney’s inner-west, but moved away after dissatisfaction with the party
* Since coming to federal parliament, Senator Shoebridge has become known for his forthright approach to attacking political opponents in estimates hearings
* He has been the party’s spokesman for defence and foreign affairs, using the portfolio to call for the scrapping of the AUKUS submarine deal with the US, as well as further sanctions against Israel for its actions in Gaza.
* The Greens senator was also among a cross-party delegation that advocated for the release of Australian Julian Assange
PATH TO THE LEADERSHIP
* Former leader Larissa Waters announced on Monday she would step down as leader due to a chronic kidney disease
* SA Senator Sarah Hanson-Young announced she would run for the party leadership
* Senator Waters’s deputy Mehreen Faruqi also put up her hand for the leadership as part of a ticket with Nick McKim
* On Wednesday, Senator Shoebridge said he would launch a bid, with Victorian Steph Hodgins-May serving as his deputy
* Of the 11 parliamentary members of the Greens, five signalled a bid for the leader or deputy leader
* Senator Shoebridge won the ballot seven to four over Senator Faruqi, with Senator Hanson-Young eliminated after the first count
* He is just the sixth person to lead the federal Greens in parliament
